Technical Field
The present invention concerns the general technical field of freight transport, and in particular the transport of loads carried on pallets. These loads can be, for instance, cars having identical or different gauge sizes.
The invention concerns more particularly a method for loading/unloading a loading space and a loading/unloading device for implementing the said method. Such a device can be used for equipping a road-going vehicle such as a van, trailer, semi-trailer, articulated convoy or container designed to be loaded onto a semi-trailer or container-carrier or a wagon.
State of the art
There is a known device described in document U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,712 for loading and unloading semitrailers. This device is mounted at the rear end of a loading space and has articulated arms for picking up laterally a vehicle bearing on wheel supports and moving the assembly towards a loading position. An operator using a control console controls the various operations and movements. A device of this type has the drawback of requiring to be controlled continuously by an operator. In addition, the operator does not always have all the information needed for optimal loading, unloading, transport or for distribution involving special requirements. It sometimes happens that the loads, in the present case, cars, are placed in loaded positions that are not optimal or may even be dangerous. A loading error can then only be corrected by moving at least some of the loads again. The result is in particular a substantial loss of time. Operator reckoning carries out the gripping of the cars, which has to be carried out by the positioning of gripping arms without tipping over the car. Gripping can therefore be a time-consuming operation and a relatively dangerous one.
There is also a known loading system described in the document U.S. Pat. No. 5,525,026 under the name of Walter P. DeMonte, which embodies a number of drawbacks. Indeed, the described system comprises non-optimized automation. In addition, operator action is required in the event of unlocking of the pallet. No automated corrective action is possible.